Automatic nulling measurement bridge using double phase angle detection



Oct. 2l, 1969 GucHl YoKoYAMA ET AL 3,474,334

AUTOMATIC NULLING MEASUREMENT BRIDGE USING DOUBLE PHASE ANGLE Dlt'l'll'rc'l'ION Filed Sept. 15, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 mifier 25 25 .Pff-ge Defedor @0 29 FIG. l@

Control Device, eC

f a Amplifier FIG. 2 @0 l 57 aomt Reactive 60 25 hase r Y-SS Differ/far "'25 'Qesstx've e, leze 6 Amplifier @c 'Vdrfdble Impedr'm ,/5 'f I Circut w1 hase Q shiftu INVENTORS GIICHI YOKOYAMA TOSHIO MURAOKA `HITOSHI NOGUCHI RAF ad I l2 a? 33 FAmpliiers Oct. 21, 1969 Filed Sept. 15, 1966 GHCHI YOKOYAMA ETAL. AUTOMATIC NULLING MEASUREMENT BRIDGE USING DOUBLE PHASE ANGLE DETECTION 4 'Sheets-Sheet 2 @o FIG. 3

8 ,ex K4 s Cx 50 .j

0 Q 4/ Ampliff l .24 5 I C F5 5:/ f6 "-L fz ,f5

7 Phase phase ..72 9 4 com ar, t0n Angle el P a Muttipuef Z 42 `l Ampier Va Habia C? mm Generator @KMK 53 INVENToRs GHCHI YOKOYAMA TOSHIO MURAOKA 0d 2l, l969 GucHl YoKoYAMA ETALl AUTOMATIC NULLNG MEASUREMENT BRIDGE USING DOUBLE PHASE ANGLE DETECTION 4 Sheets-*Sheet Filed Sept. l5, 1966 FIG.5.

/, ,Q0 y(VARIABLE) FIG. 6

(INCREASE) XP (VARIABLE) E V I T C U D N I (nEcREAsE) CAPACITIVE E; UNCREASE) (VARIABLE) INVENTORS GIICHI YOKOYAMA TOSHIO MUIRAOKAv HITOSHI NOGUECHI ATTORNEY Oct. 21, 1969 Gum-1| YOKOYAMA ET Al. 3,474,334

AUTOMATIC NULLING MEASUREMENT BRIDGE USING DOUBLE PHASE ANGLE DETECTION Filed Sept. 15, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

KC (CONSTANT) SP (CONSTANT) F|G. 8 y Rp (VARIABLE) @d (CONSTANT) (TANGENT) R0 (VARIABLE) KP (CONSTANT) INVENTORS GIICHI YOKOYAMA TOSHIO MURAOKA HITOSHI NOGUCHI ATTORNEY United States Patent O int. C1. G01r27/28, 17/10 U.S. Cl. 324--57 2 Claims ABSTRACT F THEy DISCLOSURE An AC bridge having at least one variable element in the branches of bridge circuit which is automatically controlled by the signal from a detector operating on the output of the bridge circuit. The detector responds to a signal having a phase angle relative to signal applied to the bridge which is approximately double the phase angle of signal appearing across the variable element.

Bridge circuits for measuring the impedance of a circuit element typically include a variable branch circuit element which is manually adjustable and another branch circuit element which is automatically adjustable in responseto the combination of the bridge circuit output and the drive signal to the bridge circuit. `One disadvantage of bridge circuits of this type is that the phase of the detected output signal relative to the driving signal near the balance point (or point of minimum detector signal) is dependent upon the impedance phase angle of the element being measured. The sensitivity of a conventional detector operating in a bridge circuit of this type thus Varies according to the impedance phase angle of the element being measured. It is therefore difficult to operatesuch a conventional bridge circuit with high sensitivity over a wide operating range of unknown element impedances.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an AG bridge having an automatic control system which functions with substantially uniformly high sensitivity over a wide operating range of measured impedance values.

It is another object of this invention to provide a signal detector which operates at near-maximum detecting efiiciency over the operating rangeof the bridge circuit.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of this invention, a phase detector circuit is provided for controlling the variable element of the bridge circuit in response to the phase relationship between the bridge output signal and a reference signal derived preferably from the signal across the signal-controlled branch circuit. The phase of this reference signal varies automatically toward improved sensitivity of the detector circuit. Consequently, the phase detector circuit functions with high efficiency substantially uniformly over a wide operational range of impedance measurement values.

Other and incidental objects of the present invention will beapparent from a reading of this specification and an inspection of the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the present invention;

y FIGURE 2 is a schematic ldiagram of another embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic diagram of a phase shifter used in the embodiment of FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 4, 5(A) and 5 (B) are equivalent circuits of the bridge for explaining the operation of this invention; and

P ICC FIGURES 6, 7, and 8 are vector diagrams for explaining the operation of this invention.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there is shown a theoretical circuit diagram of this invention as applied in a semiautomatic AC bridge suitable for measuring a capacitance element. In the diagram, the AC bridge circuit 1 consists of AC source 2, unknown arm 11, first ratio arm resistor 12, second ratio arm resistor 13, and variable impedance 14. The unknown arm 11 includes terminals 3 and 4 for connecting an unknown element 19 such as a capacitor whose constants are indicated equivalently by a parallel circuit of capacitance CX and resistance RX. First ratio arm resistor 12 and second ratio arm resistor 13 are both manually adjustable resistors. Variable impedance arm 14 comprises a parallel circuit of fixed standard capacitor 21 and variable resistor 22. Variable resistor 22 is continuously variable by control Idevice 28 in response to an applied signal, as explained later on. Unknown arm 11 and first ratio arm resistor 12 are connected in series, and variable impedance arm 14 and second ratio arm resistor 13 are connected in series, and the two foregoing series circuits are connected in parallel to the output terminals 5, 6 of AC power -source 2. The common connections 7 and 8 of each series circuit form the two detector outputs of the bridge circuit. The input of AC amplifier 23 is is connected to these outputs and amplies the output voltage e0 of the bridge circuit at these terminals. The output 31 of amplifier 23 is connected to one input 32 of phase detector 25 for applying ed thereto as the amplified output e0. Also, indicator 24 is connected to output 30 of AC amplifier 23. The two terminals 5 and 7 of variable impedance arm 14 are connected to the input of AC amplier 26. Amplier 26 amplies the voltage signal which appears across variable impedance arm 14 and the output signal is applied to input 33 of phase detector 25 as its standard phase signal 0k. A variable phase shifter may be inserted along the circuit which connects variable impedance branch 14 with input 33 of phase detector 25 such that the phase of signal applied to input 33 will either be in-phase with or maintain a constant phase difference with that of the voltage that appears across variable impedance arm 14. Phase detector 25 generates an output signal which varies in response to the phase relationship between the standard phase component of the signal applied to input 32 and the phase of the signal applied to input 33 as the standard signal. Phase detector 25, for example of the type called a ring modulator, receives signals of the same frequency but generally of different phases at its two inputs 32 and 33 and produces an output having an amplitude and polarity representative of the magnitude and phase of the difference between these two input signals. Amplifier 27 amplifies the signal at the output of phase detector 25 and applies its output ec to control device 28 for controlling the resistance value Rc according to changes of ec. Thus, if variable resistance element 22 is a slide rheostat, a reversible motor whose rotation may be reversed according to the polarity of input signal ec may be used, and the resistance value may be controlled by the motor rotation in a conventional manner. Also, if resistance element 22 is a light-sensitive resistance element, signal ec may be converted t0 corresponding light and the resistance value Rc of resistance element 22 may be controlled by light signal.

The measuring operation of the circuit of FIGURE l is briefly explained below. In the diagram, the measurement of unknown capacitor 19 represented by the parallel circuit of unknown equivalent constants Rx and CX, is obtained by manually adjusting the resistance values RA and RB for minimum or null deflection of the pointer of indicator 24. If the bandwidth of the automatic control circuit is chosen sufficiently high, the resistance of variable resistor 22 is automatically controlled substantially in time with manual adjustment of elements 12 and 13 such that the amplitude of output signal e remains substantially at a minimum in relation to the hand-set position of resistor 13. Thus, the output signal eo can be readily balanced at zero without requiring excessive balancing adjustment of the branch circuit elements. The setting value RB of resistance element 13 at balance point provides an accurate indication of the value CX and the setting value of resistance element 22 provides an indication of the value of loss resistance RX or loss factor D of the capacitor being measured.

FIGURE 2 is a theoretical circuit diagram of this invention as applied to a semi-automatic universal bridge system. The feature of this system is that the phase 0k of the standard signal applied to phase detector 25 for producing control signal ec (which, in turn, controls variable resistance element 22) changes with impedance phase angle of the element being measured such that the detecting eiciency of detector 25 is substantially at a maximum for all measurement values of unknown impedance. In FIGURE 2, the elements identical to those in FIG- URE 1 are designated by the same symbols and the explanations of these elements are shortened for clarity. In this embodiment the branch alignment is the same as in FIGURE 1 for measuring a capacitive reactance element 11. For measuring an inductive reactance element, ratio arm resistor 12 is connected in the 8-5 branch and the reactance element to be measured is connected in the 8-6 branch.

The distinction in this embodiment over the embodiment of FIGURE 1 is that phase shifter 16 providing a selected fixed phase-shift is inserted in the circuit between bridge terminal and the input 33 of phase detector 25. The signal e0 that appears across branch terminals 5-7 is applied to input 41 and the signal e1 from power source 2 is applied to the other input 42 of the phase shifter 16. The signal from source 2 is applied as the bridge driving voltage to the terminals 5-6 of the bridge circuit 1 via transformer in the same phase as the above-mentioned voltage ei. Assuming that the phase difference between e1 (at input 42 of phase shifter 16) and eD (at the other input 41) is 0, the phase angle of the signal appearing at output 43 of phase shifter 16 relative to e, will be converted to 20. Thus the Variable phase signal e2, having phase angle is applied as the standard phase signal to input 33 of phase detector 25. Therefore, the phase detector responds to the relationship between output signal eo (or its amplified signal eo) of the bridge circuit 1 and the reference phase signal having a phase angle of 20 relative to the phase of driving signal ei.

A typical circuit for phase shifter 16 of FIGURE 2 is shown in FIGURE 3. Signal e0 taken from the 5-7 branch circuit is enhanced by high-input impedance amplifier and is applied to an input of phase comparison circuit 52. Also, signal el from power source 2 is amplified by amplifier 51 and is applied to another input of circuit 52. The phases of signals applied to the two inputs of phase comparison circuit 52 are compared to produce a signal e,g at the output thereof for a signal eo having a phase angle 6 relative to the phase of the output of power source 2. This signal e0 is applied to phase angle multiplier 53 where it is converted to a phase angle signal (called 20 signal) corresponding to 20. This 20 signal is fed into variable phase generator 54 which generates output signal ekgk (at the same frequency f as the signal e, from power source 2; its phase controlled by 20 signal, and having 20 phase angle relative to ei). This signal is applied to input 33 of phase detector 25 of the circuit of FIG- URE 2, either directly through switch 55 set in the RESISTIVE position (for resistive variable element in circuit 15) or through the 90 shifter 57 with switch 55 set in the REACTIVE position (for reactive variable element in circuit 15).

The output of phase detector 25 is amplified by DC amplifier 27 and its output signal ec is applied to variable resistance circuit 15 which may include the variable resistance element 22 and the associated device 28 which controls the resistance in response to ec and which is connected in parallel with standard capacitor 21 by means of manual switch 40. A calibrated variable resistor 22' may be switched into the circuit in place of the signal controlled resistor in order to obtain an accurate indication of dissipation or loss factor (D) of a capacitor being measured.

The measuring operation of the circuit of FIGURE 2 is not repeated here as it is substantially the same as that described in connection with FIGURE 1.

The operation of this invention may be described as follows: Assume the element being measured is a capacitor (with loss resistance Rx and capacitance Cx), then the bridge circuit is reproduced in FIGURE 4. In this figure, O, Q are power source terminals, P, S are output terminals, and letter symbols on branches indicate values of the elements. The O-P-Q branch is generalized in the equivalent circuit of FIGURE 5 (A) wherein Xp indicates the equivalent reactance of branch OP.

Assuming that ,OP/OQ is a vector voltage of branch OP when a unit voltage is applied between terminals O and Q in FIGURE 5 (A), it can be presented in the following complex equation:

The first term of the right side is the in-phase component with the unit voltage of branch OQ. The second term is a quadrature component. Thus, from Equation l:

Therefore, on a complex plane, placing the origin point at O and assuming that straight line m is the unit vector on the real axis, the electric potential at point P can be indicated by coordinates (x, y) on the complex plane, and the voltage of OP by vector line which is called Ii vector in FIGURE 7.

Eliminating Ro from (2) and (3), we get Therefore, when Ro is varied, the locus of (3T vector head draws an arc with Xp 1/ 2 2R) as the center and with a radius of w/1/4+X2/4R2 Also, eliminating Rp from (2) and (3), we get Therefore, when `Rp is varied, the locus of P is an arc with Xp (0 2 3.) as the center and with ZRO as radius.

And assuming Xp 0, L? Xp is inductive reactance,

x 0, y f (16) If Xp 0 i.e. Xp is capactiveI reactance,

1 21rfCT by Xp on branch O-P--Q, in referenceto lFIGURE 6, the vectors m' and O in FIGURE 7 are obtained (hereinafter, over letter symbols indicate vector). Similarly, Iby replacing -RA by Rp, RX by Rp and v =by Xp, vectors of OS, SQ- and O are obtained. If the constants of branch O-S-Q are fixed, point S will be fixed at a point. If -RB on branch IO--P-Q is kept constant and `Rc is varied, head P of F vector moves on a locus (a) which is defined by the value of RB, and the signal between output terminals S and P is shown by S-P. When Rc is varied by a very small ARc under this condi tion, the corresponding variation of voltage vector SFV on lrbranch SP is @v which again indicates the corresponding variations of voltage vector O P on branch OP. If ARc is small enough, and consequently PPV is very small, the direction of WV, i.e. the direction of the corresponding variation A-P (of output voltage ep), will lbe identical with that of tangent at P of locus circle (a). When Po is the point of intersection lbetween (a) and the line that connects S and the center F of locus circle (a), Sp designates the minimal value of output voltage eo.

When Rc is varied up or down at this time by a very small ARC, the direction of the corresponding variation Ae'o (of output voltage e0) will be identical to the direction of the tangent at Po (of locus circle a). As a special case, when the bridge is balanced at zero, the corresponding variation of output voltage eo for very small variation in Rc is ep itself.

In the automatic control system including variable resistor Rp, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, if 0k represents the phase angle of standard phase signal ek which is applied to phase detector 25, the sensitivity of the phase detector 25 is at a maximum when 6k is equal to the phase angle separation between output voltage eo and the driving voltage e1 (this occurs close to Where output voltage ep is at a minimum or is zero at balance). In other words, in FIGURE 7, if p represents the angle of intersection between tangent C at Po on locus circle a and O, the detector sensitivity is at a maximum at the point where eo is minimum or at zero balance when 0k equals p. Since o is a variable relative to the direction of mi and the position of point S, 0k must also be varied according to o for phase detector Z5 to function at maximum efiiciency over a wide range of points S.

Below is generally explained the phase relation between AP (output voltage eo variations corresponding to changes of variable resistance Re) and the driving voltage e1. In the complex plane of FIGURE 8 y axis is drawn upward in the diagram) TOP is drawn similar to that shown in FIGURE 7 and F is the center of the locus circle a (locus circle of Rp when Ro is constant) which passes P, and the tangent at P and real axis OX meet at D. Then:

Therefore, the angle which corresponding variation AP vector makes with driving voltage e1 (O) is twice the angle of 0 between F voltage (the voltage at both ends of parallel impedance of Rc and CT) and driving voltage e! (O).

In the control systems of conventional automatic balancing bridges of this kind, the phase of standard phase signal ek is fixed in relation to bridge driving voltage el (for example, phase angle 0p=-90). Under such a system, it is extremely difficult to make the phase detector function with uniformly high sensitivity over the entire range of bridge operation. However, in the present invention, the standard phase signal ek with a phase angle 0k\=20 (variable phase) is produced and applied to the phase detector 25 as the phase reference signal so that the phase detector functions always at maximum sensitivity throughout the entire operating range.

In the examples explained so far, the automatically controlled variable element has been a resistance element, but it should Ibe understood that this invention may also use a variable reactance element Xp as the signal-controlled variable element. In this case, the standard phase signal applied to the phase detector which produces the signal that controls the variable reactance element should have a phase shift from the phase 0k of the standard phase signal. 'Ilhis 90 phase shift may be introduced, as shown in FIGURE 2, by conventional means in the 90 shifter 57 with switch 55 set in the `REACTIVE position.

This invention can also be applied to fully automatic bridge systems. For example, a Ibridge circuit may be used in the branch circuit O-P-Q of FIGURE 5 (A) with Ro fixed and elements Rp and Xp variable or with elements Rs and Xs variable in the circuit of FIGURE 5(B) and with the examples of this invention as explained above connected to control these variable elements. When reactance element Xp or Xs is fixed and resistance element Ro is variable, Ro can be automatically controlled by shifting the phase of the standard signal by 90 from the phase of standard phase signal of control system of Rp or Rs. Also, this invention can be applied when the branch circuit which is connected in series with the variable impedance branch includes reactance elements. For example, with reference to FIGURE 5(A), when the branch element between P and Q is capacitive reactance element Xp, Xp between OP is a fixed capacitive reactance and Rp is a bridge circuit of a variable element, the phase of standard phase signal may be shifted 90 from phase 0k which is present when the element in branch PQ is a resistance element. If Xp is variable, it may be set at 0k. The same applies to the circuit of FIGURE 5 (B), and also in the case where Rp is replaced by an inductive reactance element Xo.

We claim:

1. A measurement bridge circuit comprising:

a plural number of impedance means connected in a bridge configuration fwith at least one of said impedance means including a circuit element that changes impedance in response to a control signal applied thereto;

a source of signal connected to one pair of oppositely disposed common connections of impedance means;

7 8 phase detector means having an input connected to tween the signals applied to the inputs thereof; and receive the signal appearing across the remaining means coupled to said circuit element for altering the pair of oppositely disposed common connections 0f impedance thereof in response to said control signal. impedance means and having another input; 2. A measurement bridge circuit as in claim 1 wherein: circuit means responsive to the signal appearing across said circuit means is connected to apply to the other said one pair of connections and the signal appear- 5 input of the phase detector means 4a signal shifted ing across said one impedance means, respectively, in phase 90 from the phase angle of said reference and connected to the other input of the phase detecsignal. tor means for applying a reference signal thereto References Cited which has a phase angle relative to the signal Aap- 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS pearing across said one pair of oppositely disposed common connections which is substantially two 2,968,180 1/1961 Schafer 324`57 XR times the phase angle of the signal lappearing across FOREIGN PATENTS the one impedance means which includes said circuit element relative to the signal appearing across 15 said piair of oppositely disposed common connections, said phase detector means producing a control signal representative of the phase relationship be- 121,862 6/1957 U.S.S.R.

EDWARD E. KUBASIEWICZ, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,474,334 October 2l, 1969 Gch Yokoyama et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, equation 5 should appear as shown below:

X2 (y ).(ll.) 2 Z 2R ZRO Signed and sealed this 13th day of October 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

